The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-11-12
MRS. sELcHER's WILL.
Or. Cheney, the Principal Witness for
the Proponents,
Tells How He Asked for Funds for
His College.
circumstances OF the Making Of the
Famous VIII.

In the Belcher will case, the testimony
was continued yesterday morning. Thomas
Wendall, acarpenter living In Pennington,
testified to doing work for Mrs. Beleher, 20
her expressing a desire, shortly before her
last illness, for a settlement Of any accounts
existing between them, and, also, that he
had never seen Mrs. Belcher under the inAu-
enee Of liquor.
David w. Presson, painter and paper
hanger, testified that he had hired a shop Of
Mrs. Beleher and had worked for her and
that he had never seen her under the infu-
enco Of liquor
Alonzo Sylvester, paper hanger, testified
that he had never seen Mrs. Belcher under
the influence Of liquor and that he had had
business relations with her.
William w. Temple and Daniel Pratt, Of
Pennington, correborated the testimony Of
the previous witnesses.
Stillman Tarbox testified relative TO the
strong attachment which Mrs. Belcher al
ways exhibited for her son Hiram, and the
desire which she often expressed to carry
out his wishes after his death. Had never
seen Mrs. Belcher under the influence Of in
fiuence Of intoxicating liquor.
John +. Woods, an insurance agent at
Pennington from 1872 TO 1884. testified TO
business transactions with Mrs. Belcher and
the care with which she always kept her
property Insured. During his last visit to
her ne had observed no impairment OF her
business capacity or understanding.
MIR. David III. Chandler, l.. q. Preston and
George Il. stevens testified as 10 having been
tenants OF Mrs. Beleher's. making pay
ments Of rent TO her, and as TO other 6usi-
Mrs. ROsanna KnowltOn testified: ~ was
acquainted with Mrs, Belcher for 50 years.
was occasionally at her house from 1860 up
TO the time OF her death. have heard her
express dissatisfaction at the way the
Belchers treated her at the time Of her hus-
bands death, and also as to the way the
Backus family had treated her; that In her
fathers last sickness she was at Mercer, aud
fearing that be was worse she hurried home
ana upon reaching there had found that her
fathers property had all been transferred 10
her brothers, John and William; Mrs.
Beleher said that neither the Belehers nor
her brothers should ever have any Of her
property"
On cross-examinatiOn witness said that
Mrs. Beleher had always spoken kindly Of
Nathan f. Backus; had heard her speak Of
DIR. Cheney as "Old Cheney" and speak Of
his coming there In a light way, and also
had heard her speak OF one piece OF land on
Butler Hill which she had said she would
carry with her when she died.
Judge SymOnds, Of counsel. stated 10 the
court, that In the course Of the testimony on
Thursday, objection had been made to the
Introduction OF the announcements Ia the
papers Of Dr. Cheney's arrivals and visits at
tarmlngtOn, the ievidenee having been
deemed incompetent, and 10 was excluded;
but that the proponents would now with
draw all objection to the Introduction OF
such announcements, as they did not wish
evidence Of Dr; Cheneys. presence In Farm
ington excluded upon their objection.
Estelle Higgins, the companion and as
sistant Of Mrs. Belcher, testified: 81 went
to Mrs. Belcher's In 1869, an remained with
her until she died There was no ole else In
the family constantly during the whole time.
except Mrs Belcher and myself. Mrs. Bel
cher attended TO her own business affairs.
Her business consisted In the renting Of
stores, making repairs, caring for her prop
erty, etc" Witness here gave some de-
seriPtion OIL the property For tve years
90 out on the street, except to ride out ocea-
sionally. During her last years frequently
collected the rents for her; she made out the
reeeipts.l l would collect the money and re-
turn II TO her, and she would enter IL upon
her book. During all the time was there,
She mad the exclusive control of her estate,
personal and real. Mrs. Belcher sent me to
Lowell at the time Of her sisters Mrs.
Besse'sl last sickness, but she was dead
when | reached there. Mrs. Belcher could
not 90 herself and sent me- / have often
heard her speak Of her son Hiram; thought
she spoke OF him with great deal Of afee-
tion, and she always seemed desrous Of car
rying out his wishes. Clergymen frequently
visited there, and always held devotional ex-
ercises. Mrs. Belcher was not In the habit
OF attending church while | was there.
know sne gave an organ to the Free Baptist
church."
The court here adjourned until O'Clock.
AFTERNOON SEASON.
The examination Of Miss Higgins was re-
sumed. The witness testified; ''Mrs
Belcher had severe illness In 1888, beginning
in February. 1t was May before she was
very well again. She suffered from lung
fever or pneumonia. She was attended by
DR.. Lyford and DIR. True. She had no pro-
iessional nurse. Her neices. Mrs. Allen.
Mrs. johnson and Mrs. Stanley attended
her. They did not say anything TO me, but
thought from appearances they did not leare
To nave me take care OF her; thought they
were rather cross to me. had always taken
care Of her In her sicknesses up TO that time.
1 had been sick the November before with
the measles, and Mrs. Belcher took care OF
me, and when she became III she said must
take care Of her. l was willing TO do so, bat
the others thought they could take care Of
her themselves. During that sickness there
~
Mrs. Alice Backus, Mr.. Stanley, Mrs. Stan
ley, Mr.. Stanley's boy. John Backus, Mrs.
Allen, Mr.. johnson and Mrs. johnson and
Mrs. Butler, from Rhode Island | heard
they made ar effort to have me discharged,
but did not know. The house was not
quiet then; there were so many there. re-
member that DIR. Linseott and DIR. LyfOrd
came Saturday night and found the door to
MIS-. Belcher's r0OOm fastened. They went
in. DIR. Linscott called Mrs Belcher's rela-
tiVas WIN in her fufA
room and talked to them. / don't know
what he said to them. After Mrs. Belcher's
recovery, she talked to me In relation TO that
sickness; she spoke Of the number OF per-
see why they came; she did not send for
them, and she did not see why they should
have come and taken possession Of her
house; that they did not come much when
she was well, and she did not know why they
should come when she was sick. Once in
that sickness Mrs .Beleher said that her will
laid in a little table drawer in the front
room. do not know that / heard her say
anything about her will In her last sickness.
During the last part Of her last sickness she
gave her keys TO me. think 1t was about
fortnight before she died; retained the GUS
t0dy Of the keys until after her decease she
told me about week after she gave me the
keys that she thought she should die; think
1t was more than a week after When she
told me she thought she should die, she gave
me directions as to how she should be dressed
and arranged In her easket, and about the
care Of her papers. She told me TO get
Mr.. True 10 help me put away
her papers We carried out her directions,
| know Mrs. Craig. She sometimes visited
at Mrs. Belcher's. She was always treated
kindly, but Mrs. Belcher sometimes said she
was tired OF having her come. Mrs. Belcher
used liquor for erySipelas. and when she
wanted some she took Il. During the seven
teen years L was there | never saw her In
tOxieated. DIR. Cheney came 10 Mrs
Belchers not a great while after | came
there, and came occasionally afterward while
she lived; l should say two or three times a
year He was always received very kindly
indeed. have heard Mrs. Belcher say when
he went away that she was tired, and was
glad he was gone. He always read the Bible
aud prayed with her"
CrOss-examined-"Mrs Belcher paid me n
dollar week there was no price stated, but
she gave me other things. She always took
a receipt when she paid me; don't know
how much In value she gave me; 1t might
sometimes amount to $40 year; | don't
think u would average that. After the
funeral Dr. Cheney employed me TO stay In
the house and take charge of things. He
TO pay me a dollar day. He told
me TO get the house repaired, 10 do whatever
should De done and he would pay the bill"
Inc eroSs-examlnatiOn was continued at
considerable length, but the witnesses direct
testimony was not materially changed.
Nathaniel B. Beale testified 10 the eireum-
u "a - - - e.